


Scars

by Nezanie



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Scars mentioned, implied mental/physical abuse in their horde days, starring glimmer as a supportive little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 14:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18209819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: Bruised and beaten more than once, Catra and Adora come to terms with their scars realising there was so much they could have told one another and kept to themselves. Catra is reminded of her mistakes every time she sees Adora’s back, the pale skin scarred by her own hand. Adora remind her that they both had come so far and they could share all the good and the bad wearing their hearts on their sleeves (Warning: implied abuse, body scars described).





	Scars

They still squabbled. Catra and Adora. Which wouldn’t be that bad of a thing since they should have seen it coming with the tension between them ever since Catra’s change in sides meant dealing with each other’s stubbornness up close. The princesses weren’t exactly thrilled at first with their newest addition and Catra wasn’t one to let any ugly glances go by without a snarky remark. Just like in their days at the Horde Catra ended up with only Adora talking to her unless Entrapta or Scorpia were nearby. And they had their fair share of head butting as well that ended up fairly well at the time. Funnily enough, as the group started to accept Catra, Adora’s mere presence instigated full blown arguments which in turn regressed into full fledged fights. Masked as training. Glimmer could only laugh at the silliness of it all when worried glances were still cast at every hit that landed a little too well. There were things left unsaid and until the two came clean their mood could only probably sour even more. That was what Angella had said to Glimmer at least. It sounded pretty straightforward to solve if only the two would actually talk rather than bicker.

 

Glimmer didn’t really understand what was so difficult in communicating their anxiousness. It was obvious after every training session, the sorrow filled guilty glances, the way Catra held her breath eyes trained on Adora’s back. They needed to be honest with each other. She had done it with Bow. She winced at a particularly low blow aimed at Adora’s knees brought her face first into the ground. Bow whistled indicating his own discomfort. The suggested training session to mend the bond idea wasn’t going too well. Frankly, considering they did have a fist fight every other day lately it was starting to seem like she really had the worst ideas. The two kept one upping each other and rubbing it in each other’s face.

 

“Yeah, we did kinda have a small fallout,” he reminded her, watching as Adora wrapped her arms around Catra’s waist and suplexed her. He groaned stopping his lecture to exclaim, “Oh, big ouch, she’s gonna feel that till next week.” He wasn’t sure it was training anymore,  “That same fallout I thought was my fault, then you took the blame and then we hugged it out. This isn’t the same, they’re something sorta egging them,”

 

“Oh. Right. Forgot about that part since I was kidnapped and all,” she laughed nervously, before squinting into empty place. Bow was about to call out to her when she grabbed his shoulders, an almost crazy glint in her eyes and her typical ‘ _ I’ve got the best solution _ ’ grin, the one where she had a fifty-fifty kinda chance of being completely right or irreparably wrong. Bow swallowed and decided to trust her .

 

“What are you thinking?” He tried to use his warning tone, getting her to think it through was important. Her first idea wasn’t going so well, her second one he needed to double check before he let her go ahead. Give the poor duo a break. He flinched a second before Adora cried out, her poor bum connecting to the floor heavily. He really needed to make sure to keep them away from becoming purple all over, eggplant was not a good skin colour. Especially the part where bruises hurt a lot.

 

“I know, I know, we’re not supposed to meddle,” Glimmer rolled her eyes, obviously ignoring him.

 

“Yes, too late though, we already did and I think we made things worse by giving them an excuse to knock each other’s teeth out,” Bow commented wriggling out of her hold, leaning against the wall to glare as Adora put Catra in a headlock.

 

“Okay, maybe, but this one is a much better idea,” Glimmer reassured him putting her best persuasive smile and nodding along. It faltered at a worried glance behind her, the crazy glint in the fighter’s eyes dampening her excitement a little.  _ It had to work _ . 

 

Bow sighed looking back to the two struggling figures, it would have been funny had he not discovered how much they cared about each other. Had he been an uninvolved bystander. The way they were growling at one another, their faces contorted in concentration and what Bow could empathise with, frustration at one another and themselves. The pain of not being able to talk to their buddy, the one person who was family and more. And to those two it was probably excruciating. They had just found each other again. It was barely fair.

 

“Okay, I’m listening,” he resigned himself, Glimmer had their best intentions at heart. He was sure they could come up with something that would work. It was better than doing nothing. And he trusted his best friend and her feeling towards their pair of troublemakers.

 

…

 

Catra sat in the middle of the training room, she ignored Adora who seemed intent on hovering around her, words playing on her tongue, never quite addressing their problem had been their qualm. Now she could barely address her because, after all, Catra was the problem. She always was the problem. She bit her lip making a show of seeming winded down - she was though it would never be said with her own lips. Childishly displaying some pettiness, Catra placed her head between her knee caps admiring the floor as if it was ancient artwork. Eventually she heard a deep sigh and Adora’s shadow receded. They hadn’t spoken a word this time beyond growls and snarls, light swearing at a good blow that got dodged or guarded at. They had let their fists talk which had always been easier, and obviously solved absolutely nothing. It was a struggle not to go back to the ways of their Horde days. Catra hated it. Hated not being to change as easily as Adora had. Or so she thought. Adora stomped away dissolving into self pity and loathing unbeknownst to her, hoping the warmth of the shower could wash away the stinging in her eyes.

 

‘ _ Ten, fifteen minutes then I can go wash off myself _ ,’ Catra thought remembering how practical her best friend was even with routine everyday tasks like showering. She didn’t notice anybody coming up to her until she felt something press against her scalp and dig into it messing her mane.

 

“Hey, ouch, damn it sparkles!” she cried glowering at the snickering Glimmer, she didn’t miss the hint of worry, the forced smile. Dang, she’d even got the zoomy princess to look down. Smiling at how nice it felt not to be pitied, these two thought of her as equals and the elation quickly turned to shame knowing they were just as much in the dumps as she was.

 

“I don’t recall you ever being a coward, pigheaded maybe, where did that lion’s courage all go?” she quipped not mincing her words. Catra glared, further narrowing her eyes at the towering girl. She disliked being in the wrong. She could twist it around, as always with frivolous wording and a smirk here and there. It didn’t feel right, especially since it was going to solve jackshit.

 

Catra growled leaning back against her elbows and looking at the sparkling clean ceiling of the castle’s training grounds. ‘ _ Why the heck is everything in this place so shiny? _ ’ 

 

Something, probably a foot, collided with her leg and she grunted an objecting sound coming from deep within her throat.

 

“Come on Catra, you gotta try talking,” Bow said, ever so encouraging. Oh Bow, sweet Bow, naive Bow - if only. As if talking was ever that easy, not with the situation. It felt too soon. It just kept feeling like that even if it was obviously just an illusion, so she wouldn’t stop thinking she still had time to fix things .  Every time she tried to open her damn mouth all she could see where her claws digging deep into Adora’s back, blood drawing fascinatingly fast immediately clinging to her finger and nails. She ra be damned it would always be Adora to her, sword or no sword. It changed not one thing. And one thing that she knew well, was that she had dug deep enough leaving a mark on her pale milky skin, a darker pink set of jagged lines running along next to her spine.

 

“I’ve tried, we’ve tried but as you can see, it just ends up with us fighting, again and again and..” she trailed on, sarcastic and keen on the idea of napping away the rest of the day and her poor mood with it hopefully. Third time’s the charm they say, so the third month or so could be the one. How long till Adora stopped showering? Eight more minutes? Hurry up!

 

“Then try again!” It made her grit her teeth how normal she made it sound to think Catra could just try again. How simple Glimmer made it seem. It wasn’t at all.

 

_ ‘Seriously Adora, shower more efficiently, at the speed of light if you can. I know you have a detailed blackboard on this too, _ ’ she grumbled to herself looking the other way.

 

“Glimmer it’s not that easy, we’ll just get into a bigger argument,” she snapped running a hand across her face trying to avoid eye contact.

 

“Glimmer!” Bow called chidingly at the same time, probably having her same thoughts.

 

He kneeled down coming in level with her, he knew she hated people above her. He brought Glimmer to sit next to him, “Then one last time, just try to focus on keeping calm, focus on getting across your feelings,” 

 

“And not getting angry, right? You think I could do that?” she quirked a brow letting her head roll  limply to face him.

 

“You always kept your cool when you sassed us as an enemy,” Glimmer teased, earning a pointedly annoyed look from both of the others. “We could talk to Adora too if you wanted? I mean what’s the problem anyway?”

 

Catra flinched looking away from the pair of them. Bow and Glimmer could only shrug at each other. 

 

“Okay, got it, no need to tell us,” Glimmer patted her shoulder, before slumping and holding onto her chin, elbows digging into her thighs as she sat cross legged, “Still wanna help though,”

 

Her thoughts went back to the days at the Horde, the higher she had climbed the more destructive she had become. She remembered how devastated Entrapta had been upon discovering what her research was being actually used for.How Perfuma’s home had been targeted and she had helped the Horde bring chaos to someone she held dear. Entrapta had been honest after a while, telling Perfuma how ashamed she was, deep down she knew but her experiments mattered more. People did not, not until she knew that there still were loved ones out there that she held close to heart. Suddenly the genius princess wasn’t so sure that experiments had to take priority no matter what. She understood that helpless feeling of not being able to reach someone anymore, for something they did with their own hands.

 

Catra then and there related to her too well, reliving a fight that at first had brought pride and now made her feel smaller than an ant looking up at a mountain. The feeling of helplessness returned and she let Bow and Glimmer pull her into their soothing embrace. Her poker face faltering.

 

…

 

Adora stomped into the bathroom by the training room, the castle housed many of the soldiers of the kingdom since the beginning of the war so there was a section that had been adapted for training . Adora had difficulty adapting to the lush room, the many shower cubicles were spacious and there were so many types of soap and items that could have your body germ free clean and smelling of anything pleasant or flowery that she still couldn’t wrap her mind around all the stuff. It made Adora somewhat nauseous from the mixture of smells the first time she had used the facilities. There was even a big heated bath something like the hot spring in Castaspella’s kingdom that she couldn’t bring herself to relax in so she never used. It was too disconcerting relaxing on her lonesome. At least not unless Glimmer or the others insisted to take some time to rest and warm up after a full regiment of exercises.

 

She opened the water punching the wall in frustration, getting physical was still her one release. They hadn’t spoken a word and frankly Adora was a bit miffed that it felt like it was an improvement. Whenever she or Catra opened their mouths lately they kept saying the wrong things, getting on each other’s nerves, holding back insults. It had all started when Catra seemed to avoid eye contact after their first training session together. Had Adora done something wrong? She was sure she had given her all, she would never insult Catra and hold back. It had taken them weeks to even get to the point of training together again and it just blew in their faces.

 

And as much as Catra could be a sore loser, just as much as Adora could,she wouldn’t take a defeat personally after all they’ve been through now. She’d grown past that putting their past to rest even if they could never forget. Besides, they had been pretty much head to head that day, and every other day. Catra was always learning, a sound head on her shoulders allowed her to be prepared to take on any enemy especially ones she knew well. Even if it had been just a form of practice. Adora had to keep her on her toes, changing her patterns and it helped her just as unpredictable as the cat girl. They improved together, so why did it end up like this?

 

Adora sighed leaning forward and pressing her forehead against the cold marbled walls of the cubicle, letting the near boiling water slide down her back. It always helped her untense, having hot water run down her aching back. She had taken a few hits over the course of the war and it easily stiffened, letting it soak a little before washing up always made her feel a bit better. She wondered how many more scars she’d collect by the end. Her thoughts turned to Catra, her stomach plummeted at the memory of how many scars  _ she _ had. It made her feel utterly worthless thinking she could have prevented some of them, remembering the loathe in that woman’s eyes, the scum they had thought of as a mother at the back of their head. Some mentor Shadow Weaver turned out to be. Sometimes she’d catch herself, feeling lingering affection, Adora had been her protegee after all. The guilt always made her weak to the knees, unable to look Catra in the eye. It was a terrifying feeling that made her nights restless more than once.

 

She slammed her fist into the wall, “Fuck.” It was unlike her, she hated swearing, even if thanks to the older recruits of the Horde her arsenal was so vast it would probably stop Queen Angella’s heart knowing she could win any contest in that particular department. Fortunately, Adora had always strived to be exemplary and kept that particular vocabulary hidden. Hissing at the throbbing in her thumb, she ignored it and continued her assault of the confines of the innocent shower  until she couldn’t take it anymore. Popping the sore digit in her mouth and grumbling with her bar of soap at hand, the only one in Bright Moon she could find whose smell was not too overpowering of a fragrance for  _ her _ too with her stupidly powerful nose. She washed up as fast as she could, skin red with how much she pressed into it. She was too irritable to try and relax, and most of all she didn’t want to think about her next fight with her family member. Avoiding to think even of her name.

 

‘Yeah, some good old comfort we are, can’t even look each other in the eye unless we’re punching it out anymore,’ 

 

Grumbling under her breath and dragging her fresh pair of pants she didn’t notice the door being closed behind her with a soft click. She barely noticed she had finished drying off and started to dress anyway, her mind to occupier trying to find away to fix this mess. It wasn’t until she heard a breath hitch halfway when putting her more sportive and comfortable undergarments. Her chest felt more comfortable in the type of attire that clung keeping everything in place. The horde’s specialised in efficiency even in clothing. She turned around and froze wondering what the emotion in Catra’s eyes had been, it seemed like apprehension. That made two of them then, as the pieces clicked a little in place.

 

“Oh please, we’ve seen each others stark naked bums more than once you’re fretting at a little view of my naked back now?” she spat a little too harshly. She regretted it almost immediately, her temper still got the better of her even if it had been settling to mildly grumpy. 

 

Catra made that face she always made when she was mildly disconcerted and reviewing the best offence in her head. Adora steadied herself for retaliation her stupidly ridiculous pride not allowing her to back down and apologize. Preparing her own was easy, used to common jabs between them. Instead, Catra seemed to be biting down on her tongue, quite figuratively and metaphorically, she shook her head and turned back to the door. Adora didn’t try to stop her shoulders slumping and incredulously looking on as Catra ran away from her. ‘ _ That’s a first, even though she’s still running away _ ,’ It hurt like a bitch too, so nothing change once again. How long would this go on. Why couldn’t find her voice and stop her?

 

She flinched at her own thought, chiding herself, ‘You’re not stopping her, calling out to her, what’s wrong with you. You can face a whole army but not the best pal that came into your life?,’ She needed to stop blaming Catra, when it was partially her own fault. And whoever took the blame didn’t matter, their feelings for one another had to come first. If not, what was the point of fighting for their freedom and a just world they couldn’t share together?

 

‘Click,’

 

The sound caused her to frown and look back up to see Catra sprawled against the door hissing profanities.

 

“Open up Sparkles, I’m not in the mood, mission failed and oberted,” Catra banged a palm against the door.

 

“Glimmer is not here,” she replied trying to feign innocence. Catra made a strangled exasperated sound. Adora’s astonishment increased tenfold, she managed to close her mouth with a pop, finding it quite ajar when her mind overcame her confusion.

 

“You didn’t even try,” the tone was accusatory and came after a brief pause.

 

“I didn’t snap like you told me to try not to do, it’s enough progress for one day I think,” she defended, though her head bowed a little shamefully, and pressed against the door. Her hand clapped against it twice, mostly out of need to do something.

 

“You’re just...,ugh, Catra!” Glimmer grumbled, her voice sounded muffled, a little distant as she no doubt turned to Bow for help. The reply wasn’t audible to Adora, who had only discerned they’d been locked in the bloody room. She had just showered and they already found a way to make her sweat. Damn.

 

“I said not to snap when you talk it out,” Glimmer voice sounded a little miffed, she could picture her tapping her food impatiently, her hands on her hips very much a perfect picture of her own mother in miniature. “So try a little more conversational type of words now, then I promise we’ll open the door in due time,”

 

Catra groaned loudly letting her forehead meet the door with a thump. Glimmer’s voice lowered so that only she could hear her. “You said you wanted to change, you wanted to own up to your own shit, that you wouldn’t run away anymore, well, it’s about the right time to show us you meant it. Don’t you think?” Glimmer bit her lip when no reply came. She tapped the door with her knuckle and heard a compliant grunt. “Aren’t your feelings for Adora more important than anything, than whatever this is that’s scaring you away from her side?”

 

“I’m not as strong as you think, sweetcakes,” she breathed raggedly.

 

Glimmer snorted, choosing to ignore the new nickname, “I think, sometimes, you underestimate yourself. Catra, you’ve come so far. You’re much more amazing than you think,”

 

“Flatterer,”

 

Glimmer laughed making Catra’s insides melt away some of the knots in her.“Good luck, we’ll be back with some munchies,”

 

“Right,”

 

Catra pushed away from the door, turning back to Adora who stood a little mystified, her hand rubbing up and down along her elbow. Adora gave a weak smile, she probably had an inkling on the other’s plan. Catra opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the words drowned in her anxiousness seeing Adora tense up, ready for some verbal abuse. She hated how they managed to get to this point again, it was just like when they were on different side. Worse. They didn’t have an excuse on why they were hurting each other even though they cared. 

 

‘ _ Shit, well, fuck it all, here I go _ ,’

 

“S...s..” The word got stuck in her throat and she felt her face flush, “Sorry.” There, that hadn’t been so bad, not when she meant it. Adora’s stance faltered, and she fell into the same slumped and ashamed posture Catra was in. 

 

“No, no, it’s...it’s on me too, I’m sorry too,” Relief washed over her and the tears threatened to spill. She forced them back like always. Catra wasn’t faring better, she gave a shaky laugh, she let her own tears spill before unceremoniously wiping them off on her sleeve. She envied how in tune with her emotions the chosen one was sometimes. 

 

‘Even though she hides most of them behind some overconfident facade, at least she doesn’t hold back when she doesn’t have to,’ Adora thought, maybe one day she’d tell her too.

 

Encouraged by the display, sniffling a little Adora stepped back letting herself fall onto the bench were her shirt was. She’d forgotten about it and tucked it on as the awkward silence lingered. Shyly, her eyes darted to Catra every now and then. 

 

“We...have to talk don’t we?” Catra finally caved breaking away any barriers that still stood between them. Adora patted the space next to her and nodded. 

 

“Hey, it’ll be fine, at worst we’ll punch each other’s lights out again,” she smirked, tone teasing, “At least we’ve set a new record for not doing it immediately. I was about to ask Glimmer to start selling tickets to our fights,”

 

“Not my fault we’re a bunch of hotheads,” she grumbled shuffled by her side and kicking her foot lightly. Adora shoved her own at back at her, giggling as Catra jumped away avoiding it. She proceeded to sit across from her watching their feet slide in parallel to one another.

 

“So…” Adora hummed inquisitively, nodding absently. Catra mimicked her, sniffing once.

 

“Yeah,”

 

“Why were you avoiding me?” Catra looked like she’d been stabbed, and with how direct Adora had been, her guts threatened to wrap themselves up in the tightest knot possible. Hilarious since they’ve barely been unraveled for weeks. Not even the most eager gift receiver could unwrap this particular present of a feeling she was currently dwelling with.

 

_ ‘Be honest, blurt it out, like removing a bandaid. One quick pull,’ _

 

“Your back, glimpsed it once and sort of…” Catra was never one to jump around an issue anyway, no matter how disturbing either. Perhaps their similar upbringing had warped their need to think things through and deliver some stuff in doses when confronted. So with ample mental preparation, she’d finally said it and boy was it better to just blurt it all out especially when they had been skirting around the issue and picking on each other.

 

“Ah,” Adora felt her lips twitch upwards, her guilt ridden friend had fought with her because she had been concerned about her. Typical Catra, hide her softer sides behind her issues and horrible people skills. “You’ve already made up for that plenty, it’s nothing,”

 

“How can you just say that,” Adora was taken aback by the low hiss. Catra’s glare made her shiver.

 

“I..I’m not just saying,” Adora bit into the side of her mouth before she could let her tongue loose and regret it. She knew Catra was holding back. She had to do the same. They needed to sort this out, she wanted to make things right. Any extra words would just make them fight.

 

“They’ll never fade Adora, I can’t heal you. And even if you figured She ra’s healing ability and got rid of them. Doesn’t change the fact I did that to you,” she sounded so miserable and self loathing dripped into her every word. She even knew how Adora would counter her argument with She ra’s power.

 

“Then I guess we can call it even,” she blurted, and finally Catra looked up at her. Realisation hit her harder than Adora thought it would and Catra flushed in fear of the implication. 

 

“You figured huh?” she mumbled aggravated,

 

“I...I tried to stop her from hurting you, I always said that I tried,” Adora looked to her side feeling her own inadequacy making her ability to look at the other falter altogether, “I just never really tried enough keep her away for good though, didn’t I? She blamed everything that she thought wrong on you. And I just...let her,” Shame coloured Adora’s face making her a little green.

 

Catra took a ragged breath, “S’not your fault, she hated my guts. We were kids too, she was bigger you know,” She shrugged trying to play it off. Her face was solemn.

 

“You took the blame for a lot of things you didn’t need to,” she added a little reprimand in her sorrowful tone.

 

“I promised I’d look out for you is all,” Catra came out of her little hiding spot behind her hands, “You did the same,”

 

“If I really did, I would have tried to take you away, but...I was content with my place there,” Adora bit her lip, realising her own selfishness had never been easy. Coming to Bright Moon had ben eye opening.

 

Catra snorted, “To where exactly, stop that would ya we’re running in circles. Blame her. Don’t take responsibility for anything you didn’t do, instead take it on with what you can do,” She should take her own advice though. Sitting upright she gave Adora a tiny smile. “Besides, I never told you how much I envied you and all you represented even there. If I did I wonder if it could have been different,”

 

Adora laughed nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. The smell of soap was soothing, she knew Adora used it because Catra’s sense of smell was much stronger and she didn’t want her to feel dizzy. She always went the extra mile to make her feel like she belonged and was a part of her world. Even in the tiniest of gestures.

 

“So this was about my scars,” she looked at her trembling hands and sighed away the sense of dread she had been feeling all these days. It wasn’t that she hated her. Catra didn’t hate her, it was the opposite. She wouldn’t leave her. Her eyes burned as a strong emotion welled up in her chest.

 

“S-sorry,”

 

“Me too, I’m sorry,” she replied genuinely. Catra snickered. “This being honest with my feelings thing is a little hard to learn,”

 

“Tell me about it,” Catra made a disgruntled sound leaning back onto her hands. The bench creaked a little under the shift. “It’s not so bad though,”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Um, Yep? Don’t get used to it, emotions are blegh,” she pointed at Adora before looking back up to the ceiling. Adora chewed on her thumb’s nail, pondering her next move. 

 

“Tell me more, Catra,” Adora whispered a little fearfully, “You’ve got other scars right? I want to know more, about you, about the side I don’t know,”

 

“You mean my jealous side? Where d’ya get that weird taste of curiosity?” she laughed it off, she was shaking as she joked. Welcomed Adora’s warmth as she slipped by her side leaning close, their sides touching. 

 

“I was always envious of your speed you know, took more than one of us to get you pinned most of the times,” she admitted, when it came to power, they were pretty even and Adora could probably win more than lose in that area. Catra’s agility was unparalleled on the other hand.

 

“Is this confession time? I mean, I thought I was the envious one here, stop confusing the storyline and get back on the script buddy,” she growled mockingly, leaning onto Adora’s shoulder. Progress. This was progress. And neither felt like giving a new set of black eyes to the other this time. Big progress, indeed.

 

“When did we...lose sight of each other Catra?” Adora sounded so pained, the sadness in her voice visible in her features and body language. Catra bumped their foreheads together. Her head felt like it was going to burst as she tried to find the best words to soothe her friend. She was best at riling up people, comforting them was Bow’s specialty anyway, she was starting to feel a little squeamish with her lack of tact. What would Bow say that would sound remotely Catra like? 

 

“Hey, seriously, this isn’t like you,” she said worriedly, deciding to be genuine, “You stand up for what is right and never back down or stop to think, so, you do that. It’s good shit,”

 

Adora gave her a perplexed look. With a smug, full of herself grin she locked her arm around Adora’s neck and nuzzled her knuckle into the side of her head. “Come on, I’m saying, if you want to know me, get to know me for real, then just take that information. I’m not gonna make things easy, that’s not fun after all. Thing is I don’t mind if we try to make what we thought we had stronger this time.”

 

Adora stopped struggling in the hold petting Catra’s elbow. She gave her enough time to settle her own feelings while trying to think hard about the proposition she was given, and sort her own on top of that. Starting something new was always scary. Mending something that had once been broken seemed possible, making it strong enough as it once was sounded a little more difficult to do. Adora still wanted to try, regret didn’t taste quite so bitter when at least you failed at trying to do something. Not knowing if you’d ever manage or not when you didn’t even try was much more bothersome. All they needed was a pinch of courage.

 

“I think it was real Catra, we wouldn't be here if it wasn’t,” she licked her lips untangling herself from the limbs holding her down. She put a hand on Catra’s shoulder, “It hurt so much when it all fell apart, don’t say it wasn’t something, it just wasn’t...perfect. It wasn’t all bad either, what we had back then.”

 

“We didn’t know better,” Catra pointed out, she didn’t think they should go back either. Adora seemed to imply the same. Now that they’ve met new people, seen new things, experienced the world more openly and seen all sorts of relationships. There was no going back. There was only the path to a new tomorrow.

 

As if she read her mind, Adora placed a hand on her lower back, smiling expectantly, “We can always try going forwards now,”

 

“It’s worth a try,  _ for us _ ,” Catra wrapped her arm around Adora’s shoulder, trying to seem brave. She was actually terrified. There was hope in Adora’s eyes, so it was okay, she wouldn’t be alone, not anymore. Glimmer was here for them too. “We can do it now, you’re still a pain in the ass. Buuuuut...I’ll live with it,”

 

“Gee, thanks, I feel so loved,” Adora snarked nudged her playfully in the side.

 

“My affection comes at a steep price, Adora,” 

 

“Guess I’ll have to pay up,” the frankness caught Catra by surprise. She scratched behind an ear trying to wrap her mind around the honest love Adora sometimes displayed so openly. The Adora from back then always hid everything so well.

 

“You’re so corny,” she huffed, she didn’t shy away from the hand grabbing onto her own though. “Guess I don’t hate that about you though. Just gotta get used to it. This whole having our heart on our sleeves thing,”

 

“Mm, s’not so bad, I don’t mind it. I don’t think you need to be the same as me though,” Adora tried to focus on pitter patter of the droplets of water leaking out of a facet. It let her concentrate on something other than her own embarrassing confession, now that Catra just went and said it out loud, making her aware of it. It wasn’t easy holding back a blush. “You do you,”

 

Catra didn’t seem like she’d argue with that, “Then I’ll shower, I stink and I bet Glimmer’s about done her sneakin into the kitchen for a snack, so might as well,” They always left a fresh set of clothes in the shower room anyway, so she was set.

 

“Catra…”

 

The warning didn’t go over her head. Catra got up and pushed her hand atop Adora’s head, messing her wet hair some more. 

 

“I won’t run away, we’ll talk more,” she promised, “Later,”

 

“Okay, I still trust you,” she sounded so sincere it broke Catra’s heart when she thought how she wasn’t sure Adora should. Catra’s confidence was a work in progress.

 

“Yeah, I know,” she murmured. It didn’t stop her from being happy about it. “Can’t promise it won’t end in another black eye for you,”

 

“Pfft, you wish. I won most of our fights, thanks for  _ not _ noticing,”

 

“You keep telling yourself that,” Catra laughed, throwing her shirt at Adora’s head. Adora frowned at the piece of fabric before getting smacked by Catra’s pants. Thankfully she managed to avert her gaze just in time though she did catch a glimpse of something round and wobbly as the other skipped into a cubicle. Did she have no shame? They hadn't been much privacy at the horde but it was not like they were kids anymore. Adora could only hope she hadn't caught her widening eyes since her face had become a replacement laundry basket and the clothes covered her flabbergasted expression. 

 

“What were you saying about naked bums before? Didn’t quite catch that?” Catra teased. Nope, it had definitely been on purpose. And she had definitely lingered to see her expression.

 

“Shut it, Whiskers,” she grumbled good humoredly. She had to admit it though, as their laughter echoed across the empty room. She had definitely missed this and she wasn’t going to let Catra go ever again. Not one more minute would she be alone. From now on, they were in this together. It was a promise to herself she would give her life for rather than break. And perhaps, it was a sign of a mending relationship in itself. Adora could only hope so. There was no one in the world she loved more than Catra.

 


End file.
